diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
index 37b3f906eb..6dc4854e80 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
@@ -1076,7 +1076,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 
             // Eagerly clean these up as disposal of child components is asynchronous and may leave sounds playing beyond user expectations.
             failAnimationLayer?.Stop();
-            PauseOverlay.StopAllSamples();
+            PauseOverlay?.StopAllSamples();
 
             if (LoadedBeatmapSuccessfully)
             {